When asked to identify "voice," we all agreed: Voice is an expression of you -- your personality, your beliefs, your attitudes, your quirks, etc. My post today is a perfect illustration of that.

Every time I get dressed to go out, I try on at least two, sometimes three different outfits. Even if the first outfit is ideal for the occasion, I feel compelled to try on at least one another. What if I don't like the way that dress looks when I put it on? What if I'm cold in a sleeveless top? What if? What if? What if?

Maybe it's a touch of OCD. Maybe it's because I'm a closet What Not To Wear addict. Maybe it's just because I'm indecisive. I don't know. I don't care. After 30- some- odd years, I've decided to just go with it. (Fortunately, Jeff has too.)

Apparently, I have the same problem with fresh fig cake recipes. I was all set to post on one fresh fig cake when I got this incurable itch to make another. What if it's sweeter? What if it's better with some fresh rosemary? What if? What if? What if?

So I tried on a second recipe. My verdict? There's both delicious (and stylish). That's the beauty of blogging. I don't have to choose. I can wear both.

Fresh fig cake #1: Dorie's Fig Cake For Fall.

Though both cakes are made with fresh figs, they're not at all like one another. The first, a fig and polenta cake, slightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Fig Cake for Fall recipe, is rustic and boozy. It's the kind of the cake that's ideal for sharing with good friends and good wine on a lazy weekend afternoon.

The second is my Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake, which I adapted from my grandmother's famous pineapple upside-down cake recipe. I've got to tell you, I'm smitten with this cake. The lush, ripe figs become encased in a buttery brown sugar crust, while the savory rosemary and tangy lemon balance the cake's sweetness perfectly.

I won't tell you which fresh fig cake you should make because that would be presumptuous. So, I'll tell you this instead: Make both. OK, so maybe that is presumptuous, but it's better than saying, "I couldn't make up my mind."Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake
Makes 8 servings
Print recipe only here.

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2. Add butter to a 9-inch-round baking pan, and place inside of a warm oven until melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle brown sugar evenly over the butter. Add figs, flesh side down, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the rosemary. Fill in the nooks and crannies with walnut pieces.

4. Using a hand mixer, in a metal or glass bowl, beat egg whites at high speed until fluffy. Set aside.

5. In a separate bowl, beat egg yolks with sugar at medium speed until creamy. Add lemon juice, zest, vanilla extract, and remaining 1 teaspoon rosemary, and beat well. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture, and beat until well combined. Fold in the egg whites with a rubber spatula. Pour cake mixture evenly over the fruit, and smooth with the spatula.

6. Bake for 40 minutes, or until cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Run a blunt knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake. Invert carefully onto a plate. Serve warm or at room temperature.

*Note: Sifting the flour creates a lighter cake.

Don't forget to drizzle each slice of Dorie's fig cake with some spiced wine sauce.

1. Stir the port and 1/2 cup honey together in small saucepan. Add lemon slices and bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower the heat. Add figs, cover, and cook 4-6 minutes, or until figs are soft but not falling apart. Using a slotted spoon, transfer figs to a bowl. Raise the heat to medium and cook the liquid for 15 minutes, or until slightly thickened; the syrup should coat a metal spoon. Remove from heat and let cool.

2. Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the inside of the pan with flour, tapping out the excess. Put the pan on a baking sheet lined with parchment.

3. Whisk flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

4. In a separate bowl, add sugar and lemon zest; rub together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist. Add butter. Using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until creamy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Pour in remaining 1/2 cup honey, and the vanilla extract; beat for 2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low, add dry ingredients, and mix until just incorporated. The batter will be fairly thick. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and jiggle the pan from side to side to even out the batter. Scatter poached figs over the top.

5. Bake for 55-60 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before running a blunt knife around the edges and releasing the sides of the pan. Cool the cake slightly before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature. Drizzle slices with wine sauce.

I love both these cakes. I'm lucky enough to have a friend with two HUGE fig trees, so every summer I have about a month where I'm bringing home 20+ pounds of figs each week. My extra refrigerator is full of fig jam and fig chutney. Next time I can make cake, too!

Darn it! Where were you and your fig recipes two weeks ago when I was overwhelmed with glorious fresh figs! Ah, sadly, I was not able to eat them fast enough. If I am lucky enough to lay my hands on more, I will be trying one, or two, or heck, all your fig recipes. Thanks for the inspiration!

Two recipes are always better than one, so I'm glad for all your "what ifs!" I do the same thing. As I'm looking at these cakes, I'm realizing that for some reason plums and figs sometimes get mixed up when I think about them. Not quite sure what that means. I guess I need to bake something with both of them and explore it. ; )

Cannot tell you how desperately I feel like eating these RIGHT NOW! Yes the fun of blogging is that you can have as many, but on the other side of it, one can only drool & have none:-( still not seeing figs here.

Those figs are gorgeous, and both of the cakes look wonderful. I agree that it would be hard to choose one to make first.Both of my grandmothers grew fig trees in their Fort Worth backyards. It's amazing how many figs you can get from one smallish tree!

@Lisa, I saw pics once demonstrating how people in the north kind of folded up the limbs and wrapped up their fig trees in the winter...it was really wild looking, but seemed to work for them.

Honestly, the fig/walnut/rosemary cake may well be the best thing I've ever put into my mouth!!! I'm making it tonight. It's interesting- you really don't taste the rosemary, but I have a feeling I'd miss it if it wasn't there!

My SIL and I are making the rosemary, walnut and fig upside down cake right now. Can't wait to taste it! Thanks for the inspiration! It looks like the seasons are totally different because the trees in East TX are full right now in the middle of July.

Your fresh fig, walnut and rosemary upside-down cake is THE BEST. Got a fig tree in my front yard; rosemary in my herb garden and lemons abound. This cake is easy, delicious--great for dessert and for breakfast with good, strong coffee. Not as excited about the cake with cornmeal but will give it a try. Thank you, thank you!!!

I tried the fig upside down cake. It was good but maybe a little too sweet. I felt like the amount of sugar really overpowered the natural sweetness the figs bring. Also I think 1 stick (8 TBS) butter is too much. It would have been fine with just half a stick.

Last night I made the Fresh Fig, Walnut, and Rosemary Upside-Down Cake and it was fabulous. Thank you for spending time to develop that creation. It was a suberb combination of flavors, just the right amount of Rosemary without being overpowering and the figs baked perfectly and came out soft and supple in my cake. I had some friends over to enjoy it with me. I look forward to coming back here for more deliciousness!

Thankyou Food Blogga, thankyou Dorie Greenspan,and thankyou Grandmother! I've got to make morning tea for our playgroup, and now I'm actually excited about it. I think I'll do Dorie's cake, but I'm definitely going to try the other as well, maybe keep that one for home! Thanks again.